A child is a blank book and a parent is the pen. A parent or elder makes a remark or takes action, and a child often will respond by mimicking what has been said or done. The essence of a child is one of innocence as well as gullibility. Adults serve as an abundance of knowledge, rules, and regulations, which a child is supposed to live and abide by. Not all children will obey the regulations expected of them, yet certain rules are more critical than others.
When disciplining children, parents and adults take rules pertaining to gender specifications much more seriously than most other topics of obedience, without acknowledging they are practicing such behaviors. Gender distinctions are apparent within the way children are spoken to, how they are treated in certain situations, and the toys they play and interact with. Ultimately in a media driven society, such as America, it would be nearly impossible to raise a child free from gender stereotyping.
Over the course of more recent years the distinct gender defined world of toys has been lessened, yet most of these stereotypes still seem to appear to be engrained into a child’s brain almost from birth. As early as the birth of a child there are specified gender separations. Once born, a child is distinguished by either the color blue or pink. You can see a pink stork on the corner for a new baby girl or a blue stork for a new baby boy. Of course these colors are not comprehensible to the child, yet children throughout the rest of the neighborhood view these signs.
A parent may make a comment pertaining to the neighbors having a new baby boy simply because of a blue sign. This could be one of the initial unconscious comments a parent or adult may make, which instills such beliefs that color defines gender. Throughout adolescence it is a rarity to see a young boy wearing a pink shirt, because there is a stigma associated with a young boy wearing the color pink. We take such an ineffectual concept, a color, and place behind it prejudice. Later on in life wearing the color pink can conjure up assumptions of homosexuality.
These judgments have no validation to them, except the stigma American’s associated with this color throughout childhood experiences and understandings. Another example of the emphasis of color on gender can be directed at the legos toy. LEGOS, originally created for young boys were made in the colors yellow, blue, and red. These LEGOS were invented to help show boys how to build different structures and generally have a good time. During the early 90’s, after LEGOS first emerged, girls enjoyed this toy just as much as boys.
Once the LEGOS creators caught on to this development, pink and purple LEGOS were invented specifically for girls. Now it was silently stated that it was wrong for girls to play with the regular LEGOS, and boys to play with the girls’ LEGOS. Such practices helped to categorize children and keep interaction between children of the same gender. It seems absurd to believe; yet even LEGOS hold stereotypes and expectations of young inspired yet inexperienced children. The practice of the segregation of gender bias LEGOS has been eradicated in the last couple of years.
It may appear that the barriers in some respect are being broken down, and that color should not define a child’s gender, which is why this product has been reverted to the original design. Sports are an essential part of childhood. Children learn how to interact with their peers as well as learn how to follow rules. Little girls are shown a dance studio and cheerleading camp. Girls are given their prim and proper outfits, embraced by lace accents, and shown their place; a place, which lies on the sidelines. Boys, on the other hand, are shown the football field and told the sky is the limit.
They even have their own cheering section. Girls seem to be placed on the back burner when sports are concerned. More often than not girls’ sports are seen as lacking intensity and fury, even though laws have been implemented to avoid such unfairness. Taught at an early age, boys are created to be rough, tough, and determined. Girls are bred to be timid and easily influenced, which unfortunately is most often witnessed. Boys who take dance are seen as effeminate and usually isolated from other males. Girls who participate in such sports as football are ridiculed for being masculine.
These stereotypes are both implied from an earlier age than most can recall. No matter what laws may be created to create a fair and balanced “playing field,” socially produced gender designations will always be a part of the world of intermediate sports. When a girl is the age of one or two she is given the essential Barbie doll. When a boy is the age of one or two he is given the essential action figure. Generally this is a GI Joe, or if not an action figure a Tonka Truck. These toys hold behind them a life, which has been carried for decades. Barbie is the essential woman, blonde, tall, and unrealistically endowed.
Girls are shown that this is what is expected of them once they grow up. Not to mention sold separately is her Dream House, which once again shows a young child where a woman is expected to be. Boys, on the other hand, use their GI Joe action figure to fight all the bad guys that may harm the woman. Boys are told to protect and serve, just as GI Joe would do. A life in the military is shown to a boy before he knows what war really is. These expectations, whether they are intentionally enforced or accidentally, are unfortunate realities which help to define a child’s distinction of their gender-roles in society.
Children are blank books who need direction; it is obvious that parents are not the only ones holding the pen to dictate their knowledge. Other adults, peers, and society take their turn in marking their territory. In order to raise a child free from gender stereotypes, that child must be home schooled, not allowed to entertain themselves with most reading material available, and could not be permitted to socialize with anyone outside their “regulator. ” The way in which society has been constructed restricts the level of censorship available outside the home.
In other words this society has such an immense amount of gender stereotypes within every aspect of the outside world that it would be just about impossible to out run their impact. Ideally each person should be able to get past what society dictates, yet it is much easier to fall into the trap of acceptance. It is very difficult to parade a boy of two years old, in a pink outfit without feeling the stare of disapproval from outsiders. People must use the term acceptance rather than exclusion, because the worst oppression is that which is placed on a child who does not have the capability to understand his or her choices.
